1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a clutch release mechanism for actuating a friction clutch between an internal combustion engine and a transmission of a motor vehicle. This mechanism is installed as concentric assembly around a guide sleeve mounted on a transmission shaft, comprising a release bearing with an inner ring and an outer ring as well as a sliding sleeve, where one of the rings, preferably the inner ring, is in working connection with a release spring of the friction clutch and the outer ring is in working connection with the sliding sleeve. The assembled release mechanism has a first device for compensating for a tilt of the center axis of the friction clutch with respect to the center axis of the guide sleeve and/or for a wobbling eccentricity of the release spring and a second device for compensating for an offset between the previously mentioned center axes.
2. Description of the Related Art
DE 199 12 431 A1 (equivalent to UK patent application GB 2 339 000) discloses a clutch release mechanism for a friction clutch of a motor vehicle. This mechanism includes a release bearing, which is mounted on a sliding sleeve, and a disk spring, which belongs to the friction clutch and is in working connection with the release bearing. Particularly, the disclosed mechanism includes two areas with complementary surfaces in the form of segments of a sphere which are provided between the disk spring and the release bearing. The two areas with the surfaces in the form of spherical segments are provided directly or indirectly on the disk spring, and the areas forming the surfaces in the form of spherical segments can be shifted radially toward the release bearing.
The areas connected in this way by surfaces in the form spherical segments are slide on each other and are formed from in part by the tongues or a compensating ring which is mounted between the disk spring and a flange part provided to serve as the pressure plate of the release bearing. In addition, the spherical surfaces on the rings are produced primarily by a grinding process, which increases costs related to both the production and the material of the rings.